Clairo Breaks Down Why Labels for Her Sexuality Don’t Suit Her: ‘I Don’t Need a Definite Answer’

Even at the young age of 26 years old, Clairo has done a lot of reflecting on her own life. And now, she’s revealing why she’s kept a “huge” part of it largely undefined.

In a new cover story for Seventeen, the “Sexy to Someone” singer explained why she prefers not to put a label on her sexuality. “I don’t care for labels at all. I believe people should like who they want and no one should have a problem with it,” she said. “I’ve had a better experience with my queerness once I just shut the f–k up and let it happen to me. If I date a girl, I date a girl. If I date a guy, I date a guy.”

While Clairo publicly came out as queer in a 2018 post to X, she never explicitly stated how she labeled herself, instead saying that her song with Danny L Harle “B.O.M.D.” (which stands for “boy of my dreams”) could also be called “G.O.M.D.” to include girls.

The star explained in her new interview that she doesn’t dislike the concept of labels — she simply understands that they aren’t as important in her journey. “I also understand that people benefit from drawing a hard line for themselves — having a clear path is also important. It varies person to person,” she explained. “Being queer is a huge part of who I am. I felt so free once I understood that I love anybody and everybody.”

As for her own journey, Clairo said that she had to learn over time that coming out was not a one-and-done process, but rather a series of self-explorations. “I wish I could go back and tell myself I don’t need a definite answer. I can still be curious, date and kiss who I want,” she said. “I don’t have to wake up and decide who I am by a certain day. That was the first time in my life that I had to be OK with not having an answer.”

Elsewhere in her interview, Clairo explained her experience with showing fans her more vulnerable side throughout her music career. “Imagine you have a journal, and there’s an entry you look back on like, ‘What the heck was I saying?’” she said. “But it’s public and your friend’s like, ‘I love this. It reminds me of this thing that happened to me.’ And you realize, ‘Oh, I guess it’s not so bad if you like it.’”